Part of the reason for the trial’s lack of impact, Gallup speculated, “could be that relatively few Americans are paying attention to it.”

Only one-quarter of those surveyed had followed the story very closely or somewhat closely, “well below the 61% average level of attention Americans have paid to the more than 200 news stories Gallup has measured since 1991.”

More than 50% of respondents said that they have not followed the story at all, and an additional 20% said that they had followed it “not too closely,” making “the Gosnell case one of the least-followed news stories Gallup has measured.”

Gallup stated that it “is not clear from the data whether Americans’ relatively low attention to the Gosnell case reflects a lack of interest in it or a lack of coverage by the mainstream media.” Recent weeks have seen an outpouring of criticism over a media “blackout” of the trial.

Of those who are following the case, 46% said that the media had not devoted enough coverage to the story, while just 27% said the media had given the proper amount of attention to it.

Gallup stated that this imbalance may be partly due to the “heavy representation of pro-life respondents among those who were asked the question.” Individuals who identified themselves as “pro-life” were more likely to have followed the case than other Americans.

The research organization also remarked that it is not clear from the data whether or not “views would shift if more Americans become familiar with the case,” though it “will be evident if the eventual verdict sparks a major expansion of news coverage.”